Sheffield shopping: The shops you would most like to see in Sheffield city centre, from Hamleys to Zara

A popular Danish homewares chain is opening what will be its first Yorkshire branch in Sheffield soon, so we asked The Star’s readers what other shops they would most like to see coming to the city centre.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most popular choice was an unlikely return for John Lewis, which closed its Sheffield store for good in 2021. Or, for those with longer memories, an even more improbable comeback for its predecessor the Cole Brothers department store.

The question prompted plenty of nostalgia, with many among you still pining for lost Sheffield shops from years back, including Woolworths, C&A, Sugg Sport, Rebina shoes and the much-missed Redgates toy store.

Plenty of you are longing for another department store of any description, following the departure of John Lewis and the collapse of Debenhams, to give the city centre’s sole survivor Atkinsons some competition. Selfridges was a popular choice and given it has stores in London, Birmingham and Manchester, why shouldn’t it expand into Sheffield?

More clothes stores were also high on the agenda for lots of readers, with Zara, End, Superdry, Mango, Pull & Bear and Stradivarius among those suggested, though with some of those brands already at Meadowhall it’s questionable whether they would open a second branch within Sheffield.

Linda Barrett was keen for Hamleys make a return to Sheffield city centre, where it was once based on The Moor. The world’s oldest toy shop did open a branch at Meadowhall in 2020 but it sadly didn’t last long. Katherine Mitchell said she’d like to see the beauty chain Space NK in the city centre, and, ever the optimist, a Harrods.

It wasn’t just high-end stores on your wishlist. Lots of people wanted more independent stores and, with the cost of living crisis persisting, several of you said you would like to see some more discount shops, like Home Bargains and Poundstretcher. And with the climate catastrophe threatening our planet’s future, Greg Hewitt said the city centre could do with a zero waste refill shop.

Finally, Søstrene Grene may be coming to Cambridge Street, but other homewares stores readers would like to see joining it in the city centre include H&M Home and Dunelm.